FAQ's Departmental Research Lecturer & Postdoctoral Positions
I am not sure whether I should apply for the Postdoctoral Researcher or Departmental Research Lecturer position. Can I apply to both?
Yes. If you are uncertain, we encourage you to apply to both positions. In general, the postdoctoral positions are aimed at those who want to engage in virtually 100% research (with some teaching if you would like, but not required) or if you are finishing or recently finished your PhD. The Departmental Research Lecturer positions are for individuals who have already finished their PhD and generally have some experience. This position has a generous allocation to research (70%), but it also has up to 30% of teaching duties.
I am about to finish my Phd but do not have the award yet. Can I still apply to the Postdoctoral position?
Yes! As you will see from the job description, applicants who have finished or are close to finishing their PhD are eligible to apply for the Postdoctoral positions. For the Departmental Research Lecturer, you must already have an awarded PhD.
Do you want an extensive research proposal at this stage or have this information included in the cover letter?
For your job application, you will be required to upload a statement of research interests, CV and details of two referees as part of your online application (references will only be requested for shortlisted candidates). Your statement of research interests can be included within your introductory letter or appended to it. At this stage, we only require core information about your research plan and how it connects to the vision and themes of the demographic science centre. This means that we anticipate that you may describe your research interests and plans in a manner that could range from a few paragraphs to a couple of pages, but we do not expect a long and elaborate plan.
Are these positions open to people of all nationalities and international candidates that currently do not have an EU or UK work permit?
Yes. We are interested in recruiting the best candidates possible from anywhere in the world. If you are shortlisted or eventually offered the position, our dedicated Human Resource team would work with you to discuss the next stages and further requirements.
Is there a particular geographical focus of the centre such as the UK or Europe?
No definitely not. We encourage researchers to examine various contexts.
Will you already contact my referees already at this stage?
You need to the add the details of two referees as part of your online application but references will only be requested for the candidates that we shortlist.
Why is it not possible to submit my application online right now (and only starting from May 31)?
The University of Oxford’s online recruitment system is currently undergoing a system upgrade for several days. During this period, you cannot apply for job via the usual online process. Should you wish to submit an application, please return to the University’s Jobs and vacancies website (https://www.ox.ac.uk/about/jobs/) once the system is available again, which is expected to be as early as possible on Friday 31 May.
When will I hear if I have been shortlisted and through to the interview for the position?
The closing date for both positions is noon June 7 2019. We will be shortlisting the applications in the following week and aim to contact all of those who are shortlisted by Monday June 17.
When are the interview dates for these positions?
The interviews for the Departmental Research Lecturers will be held on Friday June 28.
The interviews for the Postdoctoral Research positions will be held on Tuesday July 2.
The interviews for the Centre Manager will be held on Monday July 4.
The interviews will be held at 42-43 Park End Street, the new location of the Department of Sociology at the University of Oxford.
Should I already contact senior researchers in the centre and have them agree to work with me?
In these positions, we are looking for individuals who are autonomous and want to set up their own independent research within the supportive and enabling environment of this interdisciplinary centre. We of course want the research to be within the themes of this centre for demographic science and hope that we can work with you and that you work together, but it is not a requirement to specify whom you would like to work with or to have her or his agreement in advance.
Can I attach the draft syllabi of courses I have taught? Can I attach the drafts of articles that have not yet been published?
At this stage, we only require the information that we requested. If you are shortlisted, it may be that we ask for additional material, but not yet at this stage. For your job application, you will be required to upload a statement of research interests, CV and details of two referees.
The positions and centre are located in the Department of Sociology. Do I have to have expertise in this discipline? Is it a disadvantage if I do not?
The LCDS is an interdisciplinary centre, branching out and subsuming knowledge from sociology, demography, marketing and business, economics, econometrics, geography, history, genetics, statistics, computer science, environmental studies and beyond. We are grateful to the Department of Sociology and Nuffield College for hosting this radical interdisciplinary enterprise but it does not mean you have to be a card-carrying sociologist. (Our Director Melinda Mills has a PhD Demography for instance.) For the Departmental Research Lecturer positions, some of the teaching will be within the Department of Sociology to cover the teaching of our Senior Researchers involved in the centre (see the specific question on teaching below). This is the area of quantitative methods and advanced methods, demographic methods, life course research and our replication classes.
What are the teaching duties of the Departmental Research Lecturer positions?
We have allocated up to 30% of teaching and related administrative duties. For the Departmental Research Lecturer positions, some of the teaching will be within the Department of Sociology to cover the teaching of our Senior Researchers involved in the centre, supervision of students (MSc, MPhil, DPhil), involvement in our planned Executive Education in Demography but also in some cases the opportunity to set up your own optional teaching module. We will also encourage you to become involved in some of Departmental and Centre committees to shape the future.
Teaching required in the first instance is largely in the area of quantitative methods and advanced methods, demographic methods, life course research and our replication classes.
Will Brexit affect the centre’s funding and should I be worried about that?
Our 10-year funding until 2029 comes from The Leverhulme Trust (£10 million) and Nuffield College (around £1 million) and is therefore not linked to European or national funding agencies. As most, we are unable to predict how Brexit will develop but are certain that our current funding for the next 10 years for this centre will not be influenced. We of course hope that UK-based researchers will continue to be able to fully participate in future ERC and Horizon funding schemes in addition to this funding.
Will you have more jobs advertised in the future?
Yes. The current funding for the Centre runs for 10 years until 2029. In the coming year, we will advertise more postdoctoral positions, an Associate Professor position, a Programmer, a Research Facilitator, Knowledge Exchange and Communications, Financial Administrator and in upcoming years more Departmental Research Lecturer positions.
I am interested in topic X, Y and Z and have made no effort whatsoever to try to link my research to demography or the vision of the centre. Should I apply?
No. Or at least try to google the word ‘demography’, read the vision on our website or look at the researchers that are involved before going any further.
